How To Be Productive And Get Work Done All Day Long

Do you find it hard to stay productive after coming home from work or uni? That moment when the bed looks just too comfy. I bet most of us have been there before!

I admit it can be incredibly hard to not just have a nap and ignore the work. When I started uni, my job, and blogging, man was I struggling! It took me a year to find out what other people were doing and why they were getting so much work done! I wanted to be like them. I wanted to come home from work and get my blog work or studying done without feeling horrible.

Feeling horrible leads me to the next thing I want you to know. I think it’s important to know the difference between feeling unmotivated and actually feeling sick or burnt out. I’m not telling you to keep going when your body tells you to stop.

Listen to your body and don’t overdo it. The following tips are just ideas on how to avoid that coming-home-energy-crash that a lot of people experience on a daily basis.

1. Have something to look forward to

My biggest motivation to stay productive and get my work done when I don’t feel like it is the reward that’s waiting for me.

It doesn’t matter what your reward is, as long as you are looking forward to achieving it. For me, it is as simple as taking a bath and watching a good Netflix show.

Knowing that I’ll treat myself later makes sitting down and studying so much easier for me.

2. Start small

What’s worse than having some sort of work at home waiting for you to get done, is knowing that it will take what feels like forever. You have worked hard all day and you don’t want to put your precious time into other work especially when you feel super exhausted.

The best advice I can give you is to make the hurdle look smaller. If you’re not motivated enough to smash a 30-45 minute workout session, start with 5 minutes or less, whatever makes you feel comfortable. It’s so much easier to start having in mind that it will only take 5 minutes instead of 45.

Once you have started you will feel like it’s not that bad after all and you will find the strength to keep going for the rest of your workout. If not, that’s ok – at least you’ve done 5 minutes! You can apply the same method to all areas of your life. I promise you it will change your life!

3. Plan ahead

It’s a lot easier to run errands straight after work when you haven’t even made it to your home yet. Our brains are designed to prefer the easiest way and we can make it easier for us if we plan our days ahead. When you know you need to go grocery shopping, plan to do it on your way home from work, school or uni.

It’s less likely to do it once you are home and in your comfy clothes. What’s also been really helpful to me was setting up a daily/weekly chore plan, so I know exactly what has to get done.

It helps me stay on track with chores like cleaning, shopping and doing laundry. Now I know that on Fridays I have to clean the house and on Saturdays I go grocery shopping. Having routines makes your days so much more productive!

4. Meal prep

Eating junk because you’re too hungry to invest time into making a healthy meal is such a waste. I’m not a fan of prepping 7 days worth of food but I do believe that preparing a meal for the next day is a good way to stay productive and healthy.

When you know you are not going to have time to cook, why not prepare something yummy that you can eat when you’re in a rush. You can find a ton of recipes on Pinterest and Youtube, just make sure it’s loaded with fresh ingredients.

5. Declutter your mind

Your mind is full of a million different things that you all want to get done today?! Great! Write them down so that you don’t have to worry about forgetting something.

Now that you have all your tasks on paper or on your phone, let’s do a quick meditation to clear your mind! A foggy and cluttered mind is not a happy mind.

The ability to focus is key when it comes to staying on top of your game! Youtube offers many great guided meditation videos for busy bees like you and me. If you prepare to meditate in silence, try the Breath Counting Technique I explained in last weeks’ post.

My favorite Youtube Channels for Meditations

6. Take a hot/cold shower

This might give you goosebumps just by thinking about it. A cold shower she says?? Are you insane!? No, I’m serious! When you feel tired (not the I’ve been up for 36 hours kind of tired) a hot/cold shower can really do the trick for you!

The difference in temperature forces your body to wake up and work to keep your core temperature at its normal. It’s also great for your skin and gives you this extra glowy look on your face. If you really dread the cold water, try and use it as motivation to get up and do the work or else you will have to go and take that cold shower.

7. Get your heart rate up

Everything that gets your heart rate up is great for a little pick-me-up. Go for a walk, run for a few minutes or check out one of Youtube’s many HIIT sessions. You might not believe it, but I’m the most productive person on my workout days.

I know working out when you’re feeling exhausted is not the most exciting activity in the world, but as soon as your body gets flood with endorphins and other feel-good-chemicals, you will forget how tired you felt before!

8. Stay hydrated

Another key factor for feeling energized and productive is hydration. As soon as your body is dehydrated you lose your motivation and energy! I wouldn’t recommend drinking tons of water when you’re not thirsty, I just want it to be a reminder.

Signs of dehydration:

9. Just do it

Sometimes you just have to do certain things. Don’t spend time thinking about it, just do it. It helps me to count from 5 to 0 and then start doing what I have to do.

Maybe you have heard of the 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins before. This method tricks your brain and makes it easier to focus on what you have to do, instead of wasting time avoiding it – I mean, it’s not going to go away, right? In the end, there’s nothing better than feeling accomplished after you’ve done everything you needed to do!

I hope these tips help you to get stuff done and feel productive even after long days! I’d love to hear from you what your favorite is and if you see yourself trying these out in the future! xo